Strap

ABSTRACT

A strap includes a band-like belt bent in a middle portion thereof in a longitudinal direction with two surfaces facing each other, a cap which couples opposite ends of the belt to each other, a thin cord to be connected to a portable device, which is attached to the cap, and a stopper through which each of portions of the belt facing each other passes, which is movable in a longitudinal direction of the portions of the belt facing each other. The stopper includes two holes through which the belt passes, and a groove which catches the belt.

This nonprovisional application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-299086 filed on Dec. 29, 2009 with the Japan Patent Office, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to straps, and more particularly to a strap attached to a portable device.

2. Description of the Related Art

There are straps attached to a portable device such as a portable camera, which have an adjustable length. In a strap whose length can be adjusted with a buckle member, the buckle member has a structure including a first pass-through portion provided through a length direction and having fixation means for providing a fixed state with respect to a belt, a second pass-through portion provided in a pass-through direction parallel to the first pass-through portion, and a folded-back portion with a folded-back bar provided at a tip of the second pass-through portion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A strap according to the present invention is a strap attached to a portable device. The strap includes a belt, a coupling unit, a connection unit, and a stopper. The belt has a band-like shape, and is bent in a middle portion thereof in a longitudinal direction with two surfaces facing each other. The coupling unit couples opposite ends of the belt to each other. The connection unit is to be connected to the portable device, and is attached to the coupling unit. Each of portions of the belt facing each other passes through the stopper, and the stopper is movable in a longitudinal direction of the portions of the belt facing each other. The stopper includes two holes through which the belt passes, and a groove which catches the belt.

The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a structure of a strap according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a front view showing a structure of a stopper of the strap according to the same embodiment.

FIG. 2B is a top view showing the structure of the stopper of the strap according to the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a usage state of the strap according to the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the stopper according to the same embodiment has been fixed in a given position of a belt.

FIG. 5A is a front view showing a structure of a modified example of the stopper of the strap according to the same embodiment.

FIG. 5B is a top view showing the structure of the modified example of the stopper of the strap according to the same embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A strap according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a structure of a strap according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a strap 1 according to the present embodiment is a strap attached to a portable device such as a portable phone and a portable camera. Strap 1 includes a belt 2, a cap 4, a thin cord 5, and a stopper 3.

Belt 2 has a band-like shape, and is bent in a middle portion thereof in a longitudinal direction with two surfaces facing each other. While belt 2 is made of woven fabric of polyester in the present embodiment, a material for belt 2 is not particularly limited as long as it is a friction-resistant material. Opposite ends of belt 2 are coupled to each other by cap 4 made of resin serving as a coupling unit. Belt 2 is coupled endlessly by cap 4. Thin cord 5 to be connected to the portable device is attached in a loop to the top of cap 4.

Each of the portions of belt 2 facing each other passes through stopper 3. Stopper 3 is movable in a longitudinal direction of the portions of belt 2 facing each other. Stopper 3 is provided with a groove 7, which can catch part of an extra length portion 6 of belt 2. Extra length portion 6 refers to an unused portion of belt 2 when a portion of belt 2 from cap 4 to stopper 3 is used.

FIG. 2A is a front view showing a structure of the stopper of the strap according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2B is a top view showing the structure of the stopper of the strap according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, stopper 3 has a generally spherical shape.

Stopper 3 includes two holes 8 in a central portion through which belt 2 passes. One of the portions of belt 2 facing each other passes through one of holes 8, and the other of the portions of belt 2 facing each other passes through the other of holes 8. Since belt 2 has a band-like shape, hole 8 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front. Hole 8 is formed to be slightly wider than a thickness of belt 2. Stopper 3 is thus smoothly movable along belt 2 passing through holes 8. Belt 2 is passed through holes 8 of stopper 3 before both ends of belt 2 are coupled to each other by cap 4.

Stopper 3 includes groove 7 next to holes 8, which extends in a direction identical to a direction in which holes 8 extend. Groove 7 is formed with a width substantially the same as the thickness of belt 2. Thus, when belt 2 is inserted in groove 7, belt 2 fits between inner walls of groove 7 facing each other. Groove 7 can thus catch belt 2. Corners of groove 7 have been chamfered. Accordingly, belt 2 can be readily inserted in groove 7.

Groove 7 is formed to a depth equal to or greater than half of a width of belt 2. While groove 7 is formed to a depth of approximately three-quarters of the width of belt 2 in the present embodiment, this depth of groove 7 is not restrictive. A connection hole 9 to be connected to the portable device is provided in stopper 3 on a side opposite to the side where groove 7 is provided with reference to holes 8.

Polyacetal can be used, for example, as a material for stopper 3. Stopper 3 is made by molding polyacetal. A material for stopper 3 is not particularly limited as long as it is a friction-resistant material.

A strap attached to a portable camera or the like may be used while hanging from one end of the portable camera. If it is too long, the strap may move to the front of a lens of the portable camera and appear in an image being taken.

In strap 1 according to the present embodiment, belt 2 can be caught in groove 7 of stopper 3, thereby making extra length portion 6 of belt 2 compact. As a result, movement of strap 1 to the front of the lens of the portable camera can be prevented to avoid appearance of strap 1 in an image being taken.

Strap 1 is easy to use since the length of strap 1 can be adjusted only by inserting/detaching belt 2 in/from groove 7. In addition, since groove 7 can be formed in stopper 3 only by partially changing a form of a shaping mold, increase in manufacturing costs of strap 1 can be suppressed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a usage state of the strap according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the strap according to the present embodiment can be used as backup support when holding a portable camera 11 directly with a hand 12.

When the strap is connected as shown in FIG. 3, first, one end of portable camera 11 and thin cord 5 are connected to each other. For example, thin cord 5 is tied around a ring-shaped hook or the like provided on the one end of portable camera 11. Then, a connection component to be connected to portable camera 11 is attached to connection hole 9 of stopper 3. The connection component used includes an external thread unit 14 that can be engaged with an internal thread for a tripod of portable camera 11, and a cord 13 attached to external thread unit 14, for example.

By tying cord 13 around connection hole 9, and then engaging external thread unit 14 with the internal thread for the tripod of portable camera 11, portable camera 11 can be held by inserting hand 12 between the strap and portable camera 11, as shown in FIG. 3. In this manner, connection hole 9 is connected to external thread unit 14 and cord 13 which connect portable camera 11 to stopper 3 in a position of portable camera 11 different from the position to which thin cord 5 is connected. During such usage, groove 7 is positioned further away from the hand of a person taking a picture than connection hole 9, so that belt 2 can be readily caught in groove 7.

While thin cord 5 is connected to a side of the lens of portable camera 11 and external thread unit 14 is connected to a side opposite to the lens of portable camera 11 in FIG. 3, this connection condition may be reversed. Namely, thin cord 5 may be connected to the side opposite to the lens of portable camera 11, and external thread unit 14 may be connected to the side of the lens of portable camera 11. In this case, the internal thread for the tripod of portable camera 11 is provided on the side of the lens. In addition, a direction to which groove 7 of stopper 3 opens is reversed. As a result, groove 7 can still be positioned further away from the hand of the person taking a picture than connection hole 9 even if the connection direction is reversed.

FIG. 3 shows a state where belt 2 has been inserted in groove 7. In this state, a position of stopper 3 is not adequately fixed due to a gap that exists between a folded-back portion 22 of belt 2 and stopper 3.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the stopper according to the present embodiment has been fixed in a given position of the belt. As shown in FIG. 4, in order to fix stopper 3 in a given position of belt 2, belt 2 needs to be folded back such that almost no gap is present between folded-back portion 22 of belt 2 and stopper 3.

In this case, an outer wall portion 23 between hole 8 and groove 7 of stopper 3 has the function of a hook on which folded-back portion 22 of belt 2 is hooked. Accordingly, when a force acts that pulls belt 2 in a direction indicated with an arrow 21 in the drawing which is the direction in which holes 8 extend, a reaction force in a direction indicated with an arrow 24 in the drawing is generated between folded-back portion 22 of belt 2 and outer wall portion 23, thereby preventing pulling of belt 2 in the direction of arrow 21 which increases the length of the strap between stopper 3 and cap 4.

While only one of the portions of belt 2 facing each other is caught in groove 7 in the present embodiment, both portions may be caught. Nonetheless, since the action force in the direction of arrow 21 basically acts equally on both portions of belt 2 facing each other, stopper 3 can be fixed in a given position of belt 2 by catching at least one of the portions of belt 2 facing each other.

In order to fix stopper 3 in a given position of belt 2, first, belt 2 may be inserted in groove 7 as shown in FIG. 3, and then extra length portion 6 may be pulled in the direction in which groove 7 extends such that no gap is present between folded-back portion 22 and outer wall portion 23 as shown in FIG. 4. In order to release fixed stopper 3, on the other hand, belt 2 is simply detached from groove 7. Therefore, the length of the strap can be readily adjusted.

Since groove 7 has a depth equal to or greater than half of the width of belt 2, belt 2 can be reliably caught in groove 7, thus improving reliability of adjustment of the strap length.

FIG. 5A is a front view showing a structure of a modified example of the stopper of the strap according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5B is a top view showing the structure of the modified example of the stopper of the strap according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a stopper 17 in the modified example has a generally rectangular parallelepiped form.

Stopper 17 includes two holes 18 in a central portion through which belt 2 passes. One of the portions of belt 2 facing each other passes through one of holes 18, and the other of the portions of belt 2 facing each other passes through the other of holes 18. Since belt 2 has a band-like shape, hole 18 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front. Hole 18 is formed to be slightly larger than the thickness of belt 2. Stopper 17 is thus smoothly movable along belt 2 passing through holes 18. Belt 2 is passed through holes 18 of stopper 17 before both ends of belt 2 are coupled to each other by cap 4.

Stopper 17 includes a groove 20 next to holes 18, which extends in a direction identical to a direction in which holes 18 extend. Groove 20 is formed to a depth equal to or greater than half of the width of belt 2. While groove 20 is formed to a depth substantially the same as the width of belt 2 in the present embodiment, this depth of groove 20 is not restrictive. A connection hole 19 to be connected to the portable device is provided in stopper 17 on a side opposite to the side where groove 20 is provided with reference to holes 18.

Stopper 17 can also be made by molding resin such as polyacetal, and can have the same effect as that of stopper 3.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the scope of the present invention being interpreted by the terms of the appended claims. 

1. A strap attached to a portable device, comprising: a band-like belt bent in a middle portion thereof in a longitudinal direction with two surfaces facing each other; a coupling unit which couples opposite ends of said belt to each other; a connection unit to be connected to the portable device, which is attached to said coupling unit; and a stopper through which each of portions of said belt facing each other passes, which is movable in a longitudinal direction of the portions of said belt facing each other, said stopper including two holes through which said belt passes, and a groove which catches said belt.
 2. The strap according to claim 1, wherein said groove is arranged next to said two holes to extend in a direction identical to a direction in which said two holes extend, and said belt is caught in said groove while being folded back along an outer wall of said stopper between one of said holes and said groove.
 3. The strap according to claim 1, wherein said groove has a depth equal to or greater than half of a width of said belt.
 4. The strap according to claim 1, wherein said stopper includes a connection hole on a side opposite to a side where said groove is provided with reference said holes, and said connection hole is connected to a connection component which connects the portable device to said stopper in a position of the portable device different from a position to which said connection unit is connected. 